Sep 16, 2014

Last Emperor Puyi's cousin expresses dissatisfaction with Chinese period dramas

The last Chinese Emperor Puyi's cousin, Aisin Gioro Puyang, recently expressed her dissatisfaction with Chinese period dramas in recent years, which she says have distorted history.

The 60-year-old royal descendant of the Imperial Aisin Gioro clan that ruled during China's Qing Dynasty, recently appeared at a forum about Puyi studies, and said that TV series should respect history instead of distorting the facts for dramatic effect.

Using examples of two popular series, "Return of the Princess Pearl" and "Legend of Zhen Huan", Puyang said, "The emperor in the series ["Legend of Zhen Huan"] is obsessed with beauty and doesn't care much about state affairs."

"It also gave a false representation of the royal concubine life in the harem," she said. "Thus, it failed to educate youth about history."

Puyang, who spends most of her life abroad, is the 11th granddaughter of Nurhaci, the founding father of the Qing Dynasty.

"The Legend of Zhen Huan"aka Empresses in the Palace is scheduled for release in the United States early next year. Actress Sun Li was nominated for an International Emmy in the Best Actress category for her role in the drama